Why Merge? Not fair for either!

[awdance99]

I don't really think that merging dances so that guys and girls are dancing at the same competition is fair. For one thing, the guys don't place as well because the girls are more flashy, both in steps and dress. Also, girls competitions are big enough without the extra boys! I think they should merge like three ages of boys until they have enough competitors. Sure, you could have a twelve year old against a fifteen year old, but if you are both in novice you are dancing at the same level!

Anybody agree/disagree? Leave feedback!

[hornpipefeet]

Hmmm I agree with the fact that maybe they should merge boys competitions so they can dance all against boys and that maybe it'd be more fair... both for the girls and the boys.. if you take the example of majors, you'll see that very often, boys and girls competitions are separated!
But I don't agree with what you say about the girls being more flashy because of steps and dresses...First because dresses, flashy or not, don't affect your dancing: if a girl having a wonderful dress, very colorful, with loads and loads of bling is in the same competition as a girl having a sober dress that dances better than the first one, this second girl will win... don't forget it's all about the dancing!!! I agree that maybe flash dresses can get the judge's eye easily, but good dancing does, too!
And concerning the girls steps being flashy... some boys steps can be very flashy and nice, too!
I think it's just... because of the way of dancing that is different between girls' and boys' dancing!

[awdance99]

I'm not saying that looks or steps dictate your place....its just that many of the guys at my level in my school dont have high kicks or anything to catch the judges eye. And generally, guys dont place fairly well against girls. Some do, dont get me wrong, but the majority dont seem to be noticed.

[SweetEdelweiss09]

I disagree about boys not placing as well because I had boys in my catagories the last three feis and they placed out every time, even aganist girls in solos.

I personally don't mind merging cause it gives you a chance to place out. And also they seperate them into groups if they get too big.

[ghilliegirl1]

I don't like when they do prelims and champs U8, U10, U12, U14... (even age groups) especially when there's enough to have their own competition with one age groups!!!! I was at a feis one time with 23 people in my competition. If they split the two age groups, my competition would have had 9 and the other would have had 14!!! I think that's enough to split! I felt bad for my friend, if they split she would have gotten first and I would have gotten 2nd and my other friend 3rd

If there's not enough, i have no problem at all with merging. it's fine then. Or if they merge boys and girls. I don't mind that because the boys have a place to aim for: beating girls. It's not fair for them to compete against people 3 or 4 years older than them at every competition with only about 3 or maybe 4 boys in that competition...then they could never get past that level!!! If the boys don't have a challenge then they're going to all quit and who knows they could have been the next nicholas paulsen or joe bitter and we just pushed them out of dance because they didn't have enough competitors. If they had to merge a competition with 1 age group to make 5 boys, that would be fine. Otherwise, I think merging them up a bunch of age groups and seperating them from the girls isn't fair.

Sorry this was so long

[aligetreel]

Here's my two cents.

It's not about the flashiness or even the choreography sometimes. It's about who performs better. However, by being less flashy and the minority gender, you will stand out all on your own.

Here's my main point though. Guys and girls should not be separated until they are in higher competition. There are SO FEW GUYS! I mean, look around. When I was dancing there were only five to six guys in a competition. TOPS! It allowed them to progress faster in competitions compared to the girls. Sometimes it was because they were better, but most times it was because there was just less competition. On the other side, with too few guys, you can't progress either, in which case the male competitors are stuck going to a feis just to a get a medal or a ribbon which doesn't mean much because there's no way their scores will be counted for moving up.

More competition is good. It gives everyone involved something to work for. Yes, it's difficult to lose. I remember one year where I didn't place anything but fifth for a whole straight year! However, I worked really hard and came back after winter break to start winning straight firsts. It was about being motivated and building the determination and character to realize that it was not just about winning but about having fun and doing the work ahead of time. Look at it as an opportunity to gauge yourself ahead of time. The point is to become a better dancer and performer. Not to win medals or trophies. Yes, everyone wants the trophies, but in the end, those will just sit on your shelf. It's the hard work that makes them worth it.

[ghilliegirl1]

Originally Posted by aligetreel

The point is to become a better dancer and performer. Not to win medals or trophies. Yes, everyone wants the trophies, but in the end, those will just sit on your shelf. It's the hard work that makes them worth it.

I TOTALLY agree!!!!!! When you know you've put in the hard work, the trophies, crystals, and medals mean waaaayyyy more to you!!!! I'm one of those girls who always ends up screaming and on the verge of tears when she finds out she wins because I know what it took to get me to the top of the podium. All those hours of sweating it out and pushing through the rough times. And yes, sometimes tears of frustration or pain and lots of bruises and blisters. But all of that is necessary if you want to make it to the top, whether in beginners, worlds, or anywhere in between. It's the journey that makes winning feel so good, not just the title or trophy.

[Heidegger]

When I was in o15 advanced beginner, and sometimes even now in o15 novice, there aren't enough dancers for it to count, so I like it when they merge age groups. I think it's only fair that they merge as many competitions as they need to for it to count for moving up. I don't think merging the boys and girls competitions is any different than merging u15 and o15.

At the feis I went to a couple weeks ago, there were a lot of guys in the novice o15 competition, so they split girls and boys into different competitions even though they originally had them together. I think that's the most fair way of doing things. It's nice to have the boys separate because boys do stand out, but it's not really possible unless it's a really big feis.

[irishdancer4life320]

My thought on this subject is that it is fair.
Either way the overall points are based on your dancing not your age, gender, dress, vest etc.
And when it comes to dancing when you finally come to the level of Championship and go to Oireachtas it is going to be the Gents and Ladies divided.
So having to compete against Ladies at Feis makes you work that much harder.
And for us Ladies to compete against the Gents it makes us work that much harder as well!
It doesn't really matter for me as guys always say the ladies place higher and vice versa.
At the end, you dancing counts!

[emmydancer]

Good point. I think the Feis Commision should send out a survey to all Irish dance schools in their particular area that have boy students and they get to vote on which of the options you mentioned. And then the majority would win what happens at feises. Get it?